What historical event fascinates you the most?

[Hardline]

I'll post my answer later.

 

[Runwildboys]

The Big Bang

 

[John813]

Stuck on two answers, but the nod goes to WW2.
Was always interested in the Great Depression and World War 2(before, during and after).

Think my interest in the depression came from reading The Grapes of Wrath as a kid.

WWII due to how a country in financial ruin was able to be seemingly hypnotized by a mad man, the many factions involved, various turning points and the use of the A-bomb. The subsequent outfall between the west and USSR was interesting as well as the new "enemy" was the communists.

 

[Tabascocat]

Extinction of the dinosaurs, the how and why........

 

[jsb357]

Because I was living in Dallas when it happened and when I became aware of the
historical significance of those events I could see the Dallas skyline after dark
on the road going home....

https://cowboyszone.com/threads/jfk-assassination-conspiracy-who-did-it-and-why.404639/

And in a quite possibly a related event the cause, justification, decision making process,
that resulted in a sitting president eligible to run again no do so (the last time that
happened in US history).

The Vietnam War

 

[Jimbo69]

WW1.
The increadible political and diplomatic machinations which resulted in that bloodbath is increadible to behold. If you ever get a chance to read 'the war that ended peace' by Margaret Mcdonell it lays bare the last years of european autocracies and the reason we got things like Ww2 and the soviet union.
Many of the problem areas of the world can still be traced back to WW1 and it's aftermath.

 

[CouchCoach]

The Big Bang

LMAO

 

[Sarek]

The day i was born.

 

[DFWJC]

The Resurrection and all the witnesses ("believers and non believers) in following weeks.

btw
Not here for some sort of religious debate--and it's not allowed anyway.
But the thread asked, so I answered.

 

[JIMMYBUFFETT]

The settling of the Western United States. Lewis and Clark, The Corps Of Discovery, Indian territory, trapping, the exploration of the Missouri and Columbia, Sacagawea, the American Bison, Hell's Canyon, and the aftermath that followed to me is the most interesting awe-inspiring event that ever took place in the U.S.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

WW1.
The increadible political and diplomatic machinations which resulted in that bloodbath is increadible to behold. If you ever get a chance to read 'the war that ended peace' by Margaret Mcdonell it lays bare the last years of european autocracies and the reason we got things like Ww2 and the soviet union.
Many of the problem areas of the world can still be traced back to WW1 and it's aftermath.

Great point.

It's stunning (if one looks deep enough) on how WWI continues to affect the planet... For most Americans WWI get's short shift and it's all about WWII. Where it was WWI that created that planted the seeds for WWII.

 

[CouchCoach]

Pearl Harbor. There is still mystery about how much notice FDR had and there is a theory he let it happen to sacrifice a few compared to the many. WWII gets glorified in movies but the mood of this country was "that's not our war". He needed something to get the country on board with what he knew and had learned from the lessons of WWI. He also realized he had to have a unified country to enter the war.

While it does seem harsh, if FDR let that happen with a full 12 hour notice as some believe, that might have been the best decision made by a President since Lincoln. We had a difficult time defeating the Axis powers, imagine that with a couple of more years of war with the US on the sideline. Japan jumped the gun and should have waited, they misjudged the ultimate effect of that attack.

What I do believe is that he didn't think they would be so successful. That is one of the most daring and successful attacks ever launched by any country. However, the sheer success of their mission is what led to their downfall and surrender.

 

[CouchCoach]

Great point.

It's stunning (if one looks deep enough) on how WWI continues to affect the planet... For most Americans WWI get's short shift and it's all about WWII. Where it was WWI that created that planted the seeds for WWII.

True but Hollywood has been in love with WWII and only gave a passing glance to WWI. There are more movies about Desert Storm than WWI and whether we like it or not, that's the type country we live in. We pay attention to what they show us and do not investigate enough on our own.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Sort of a tie-in to my previous post...

The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 is of the historical events that fascinates me.

Why?

This result of this war formed the undercurrent of discontent that became WWI.

Germany became a military power that soundly defeated the French, who were forced to give up land and prestige to Germany.

This stuck in the craw with the people of France who were intent on punishing Germany up & beyond at the conclusion of WWI... Which of course fueled Germany's desire to get back at France during WWII.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

True but Hollywood has been in love with WWII and only gave a passing glance to WWI. There are more movies about Desert Storm than WWI and whether we like it or not, that's the type country we live in. We pay attention to what they show us and do not investigate enough on our own.

Great point.

And the thing is the unstableness of the Middle-East region for the past several decades is directly due to the results of WWI.

 

[kskboys]

Pearl Harbor. There is still mystery about how much notice FDR had and there is a theory he let it happen to sacrifice a few compared to the many. WWII gets glorified in movies but the mood of this country was "that's not our war". He needed something to get the country on board with what he knew and had learned from the lessons of WWI. He also realized he had to have a unified country to enter the war.

While it does seem harsh, if FDR let that happen with a full 12 hour notice as some believe, that might have been the best decision made by a President since Lincoln. We had a difficult time defeating the Axis powers, imagine that with a couple of more years of war with the US on the sideline. Japan jumped the gun and should have waited, they misjudged the ultimate effect of that attack.

What I do believe is that he didn't think they would be so successful. That is one of the most daring and successful attacks ever launched by any country. However, the sheer success of their mission is what led to their downfall and surrender.

Attacking Pearl Harbor really was not the most obvious choice. It's not that FDR knew or not, it's whether he made the right choice to defend which area. The only real fact that points toward him knowing was a telegram that POed him. No one knows what it really says.

On the flip side, our carriers were not there. By WWI already, battleships had become obsolete. So, did we let them destroy a pile of obsolete ships? Possible.

As a side note, there are many horrific decisions one has to make when in charge. It's never easy.

 

[OmerV]

The Big Bang

I saw that movie. It was discreetly described on my hotel bill as "in room movie".

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Attacking Pearl Harbor really was not the most obvious choice. It's not that FDR knew or not, it's whether he made the right choice to defend which area. The only real fact that points toward him knowing was a telegram that POed him. No one knows what it really says.

On the flip side, our carriers were not there. By WWI already, battleships had become obsolete. So, did we let them destroy a pile of obsolete ships? Possible.

As a side note, there are many horrific decisions one has to make when in charge. It's never easy.

Militarily I think Pearl Harbor was a tactical victory for Japan in that they destroyed a lot of stuff and killed thousands with little loss to themselves, it was a strategic loss. All they did was p-off the US.

And yeah what they did destroy at Pearl was as you said most obsolete.

 

[DallasEast]

If 'event' can be defined as an entire existence, I would love observing the Dutch East India Trading Company. For nearly two hundred years, the corporation ushered in globalization in powerfully progressive and devastatingly destructive ways. In my opinion, there were few other events which occurred in recorded human history besides the World Wars that influenced all elements of society across the (known) world.

 

[Jimbo69]

Sort of a tie-in to my previous post...

The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 is of the historical events that fascinates me.

Why?

This result of this war formed the undercurrent of discontent that became WWI.


Germany became a military power that soundly defeated the French, who were forced to give up land and prestige to Germany.

This stuck in the craw with the people of France who were intent on punishing Germany up & beyond at the conclusion of WWI... Which of course


fueled Germany's desire to get back at France during WWII.

Thzt is true but the intricasies of why each country decided to commit mutuzl suicde goe far beyond that conflict. As a brit my fav bit is bethmann (the germain chancellior ) stating his among his war aims was to create a european custom union including skandinavia to benefit german industry. Bit like the EU a 104 years and two wars later.